UK heatwave officially declared temperatures top 32C on hottest day of the year so far
Britain experienced its hottest day of the year so far on Sunday, with temperatures rising to 32.1 degrees.
A heatwave has been officially declared in eight parts of south-east England, with three consecutive days of hot weather exceeding the 27C threshold.
The Met Office said the first place to meet the criteria at around 11.30am on Sunday was Santon Downham.
It was followed closely by Heathrow around 11.50pm; The criterion for this was three consecutive days at 28C. Temperatures in that area have since risen to 30C.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 34C in Greater London and south-east England on Monday.
Speaking to the Press Association, a Met Office spokesman said: “Even in the summer we rarely see temperatures above 35 degrees, so to see temperatures approaching 35 in May is, as I say, quite historic.”
Saturday was the first time 30 degrees were surpassed in the UK this year; The last time it happened was in May 2012.
Elsewhere in England, temperatures rose to between 25 and 30 degrees on Sunday. Temperatures are cooler in Scotland, with readings in the mid-teens.
It comes after a series of yellow heat health warnings came into force in London, the south-east, east and Midlands on Friday, while yellow alerts remain in place across the rest of England.
The warnings mean there could be a “significant” impact on health and social services and an increase in deaths, according to the UK Health Safety Agency.
The Met Office is also forecasting the hottest May day on record, with temperatures reaching 33C in the south of England and the Midlands in the coming days, surpassing the current May temperature record of 32.8C.
Met Office deputy chief Steve Kocher said: “May and spring UK temperature records are likely to be broken over the Bank Holiday weekend, with forecast temperatures exceeding the current record of 32.8C.
“As well as being warm, there will be plenty of dry, sunny weather across much of the UK. However, there will be more clouds and showers over Northern Ireland and western Scotland over the weekend. Along with relatively low sea surface temperatures, light cloud and sea fog are also likely to develop near the west coast.”
The all-time May temperature record currently stands at 32.8°C (Camden Square, 22 May 1922; followed by Horsham, Tunbridge Wells and Regent’s Park, 29 May 1944).
